Brexit

[Que]

I wonder whether or not PrestoC might find it economically viable to set up a warehouse in the EU?

A lot of British companies are setting up an EU subsidiary, and quite a few pick the Netherlands as the location due to proximity, a good logistical network with the rest of Europe and general proficiency in English.

Presto would be very welcome! 

Q

[Pohjolas Daughter]

A lot of British companies are setting up an EU subsidiary, and quite a few pick the Netherlands as the location due to proximity, a good logistical network with the rest of Europe and general proficiency in English.

Presto would be very welcome! 

Q

Well, contact them! 

We need to support companies that care about classical music--in my opinion anyway. 

PD

[Que]

Well, contact them! 

We need to support companies that care about classical music--in my opinion anyway. 

PD

I'm sure they don't need my advice in this matter... 

BTW the advice to set up an EU branch has already been given to companies by UK officials.

But for a small company setting up a branch abroad, complete with a physical location, separate logistics and staff, is a very big step. You need a sufficiently large turrnover to make up for the extra investment and overhead costs.

In other words: if you are a small business and a large portion of your clientele is in the EU, you are scr@wed.
Unless you are a unique super specialist with little competition.In that case your EU clients will cough up the extra costs and endure the added inconveniences.

Q

[Irons]

I'm sure they don't need my advice in this matter... 

BTW the advice to set up an EU branch has already been given to companies by UK officials.

But for a small company setting up a branch abroad, complete with a physical location, separate logistics and staff, is a very big step. You need a sufficiently large turrnover to make up for the extra investment and overhead costs.

In other words: if you are a small business and a large portion of your clientele is in the EU, you are scr@wed.
Unless you are a unique super specialist with little competition.In that case your EU clients will cough up the extra costs and endure the added inconveniences.

Q

JD Sports are exactly doing that and so they should.

https://metro.co.uk/2021/02/09/jd-sports-moving-1000-jobs-to-eu-as-brexit-is-worse-than-predicted-14050970/

All businesses in UK and EU need to rejig for the new situation. Makes little sense for the company to import goods from Asia and then export to EU. No room for sentiment in business, but JD lose credibility by at the same time demanding assistance from the government in the upcoming budget for rates and rents due to pandemic which possibly would be breaking EU rules.

https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2018/11/13/Do-EU-rules-impact-business-rates

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I'm sure they don't need my advice in this matter... 

BTW the advice to set up an EU branch has already been given to companies by UK officials.

But for a small company setting up a branch abroad, complete with a physical location, separate logistics and staff, is a very big step. You need a sufficiently large turrnover to make up for the extra investment and overhead costs.

In other words: if you are a small business and a large portion of your clientele is in the EU, you are scr@wed.
Unless you are a unique super specialist with little competition.In that case your EU clients will cough up the extra costs and endure the added inconveniences.

Q

From what I've been seeing under the Recent Purchases thread, I suspect that there are about a half dozen of you that comprise *half of their sales (hence my suggestion that they might be interested in reading your comments about intentions to purchase elsewhere). 

*o.k., maybe not that much, but still.... 

[DavidW]

Well, contact them! 

We need to support companies that care about classical music--in my opinion anyway. 

PD

Presto was the only ones still selling the Jurowski Tchaikovsky symphonies that I wanted.  And that other UK store that I used to buy from is just GONE.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Presto was the only ones still selling the Jurowski Tchaikovsky symphonies that I wanted.  And that other UK store that I used to buy from is just GONE.

MDT?

[DavidW]

MDT?

Yup.  I used to buy them from all the time before I switched to streaming.

[MusicTurner]

They just stopped, suddenly, not sure they even explained it ...

[The new erato]

They went bust a couple of years ago.

[Que]

Exports to the EU are the main problem now, but from April 1st imports from the EU might follow...


Food traders say Brexit impact 'could get worse'  (BBC)

[André Le Nôtre]

Some archaeologists now believe that Stonehenge was originally erected in Wales: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-stonehenge/second-time-lucky-stonehenge-first-erected-in-wales-archaeologists-say-idUSKBN2AC0UK

I think that after Scottish independence and a unified Ireland, Wales should also declare its independence and demand the return of Stonehenge! 

[MusicTurner]

Interesting. Will no doubt cause debate ... 

[Madiel]

The move would have happened before 'Wales' and 'England' existed as concepts.

[Que]

And the Brexit fallout continues....


Amsterdam displaces London as Europe's top stocks centre after Brexit   (Reuters)

[Iota]

Unless some as yet unseen happy alternative becomes apparent, drifting back closer to a de facto sort of EU membership as a result of post-Brexit economic realities biting, is what I'm hoping might happen. This article clearly hoping for the same.
I also thought the following about the political manoeuvrings after the referendum was very true:

'One of the reasons why in the years after 2016 Britain pulled towards more and more extreme forms of Brexit was that there was always a partisan or factional advantage on offer to anyone willing to say the government wasn't pro-Brexit enough. It was a way of building a reputation, and garnering flattering write-ups in the Daily Telegraph: it's the only reason, let's be honest, that any of us have even heard of Mark Francois.

But the result was that the Tory party was always under pressure to appease its hardliners. There was no countervailing pressure on the other side because, as loudly as Remainers may have yelled about the downsides of Brexit, they all lay in the future: nobody could actually feel them. Tory moderates did not end up pulling the party back towards sanity: they just ended up outside the party.'

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/brexit/2021/02/now-brexit-finally-done-people-will-soon-miss-benefits-eu-membership?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB

[Mandryka]

Unless some as yet unseen happy alternative becomes apparent, drifting back closer to a de facto sort of EU membership as a result of post-Brexit economic realities biting, is what I'm hoping might happen. This article clearly hoping for the same.
I also thought the following about the political manoeuvrings after the referendum was very true:

'One of the reasons why in the years after 2016 Britain pulled towards more and more extreme forms of Brexit was that there was always a partisan or factional advantage on offer to anyone willing to say the government wasn't pro-Brexit enough. It was a way of building a reputation, and garnering flattering write-ups in the Daily Telegraph: it's the only reason, let's be honest, that any of us have even heard of Mark Francois.

But the result was that the Tory party was always under pressure to appease its hardliners. There was no countervailing pressure on the other side because, as loudly as Remainers may have yelled about the downsides of Brexit, they all lay in the future: nobody could actually feel them. Tory moderates did not end up pulling the party back towards sanity: they just ended up outside the party.'

https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/brexit/2021/02/now-brexit-finally-done-people-will-soon-miss-benefits-eu-membership?utm_source=pocket-newtab-global-en-GB

Don't lose sight of the fact, because I think it is a fact, that many many British people were seriously disaffected with the status  quo, they felt disenfranchised and unrepresented, that the country was run by people who weren't interested in their welfare, by corrupt people who were feathering their own nest while they, the people, were living in a regime of austerity. And also don't forget that twelve months ago it looked as though they had done the right thing in a way: without Brexit would we have had a government which talked about levelling up?

Then Covid came, but Covid is getting under control. Let's see if any levelling up starts to happen over the next couple of years. I own property in Manchester, when I drive through, for example, Oldham, I am horrified by the wasteland, the desolation and the despair. I'm not surprised that the residents needed to make their feelings known loud and clear.

What I'm saying is, there is a possibility that Brexit will, indirectly, result in a UK which is fairer. The country may well be poorer,  but the wealth may be distributed better. We shall see, but if they don't we could have turbulent times ahead - COVID has exacerbated the inequalities.

Miles Platting, near Oldham, Manchester. My heart sinks whenever I drive through it. Normally there is some litter stuck to the metal fence.

[MusicTurner]

Ordered a new Wuorinen CD from the Presto sales, the price was around 10.5 Euros for the item. But I'd not looked into the rules sufficiently; to get the item sent from the Danish customs, which has now sent me a letter, I have to pay an additional ~ 2.75 Euros in Danish VAT, plus a fee of ~ 21 Euros for the very handling of the payment of that modest VAT amount ... So all in all, not an attractive offer, and I'm done with UK-based Presto from now on, sadly.

[Que]

Ordered a new Wuorinen CD from the Presto sales, the price was around 10.5 Euros for the item. But I'd not looked into the rules sufficiently; to get the item sent from the Danish customs, which has now sent me a letter, I have to pay around 2.75 Euros in Danish VAT, plus a fee of around 21 Euros for the very handling of the payment of that modest VAT amount ... So all in all, not an attractive offer, and I'm done with UK-based Presto from now on, sadly.

Ouch! 

I can go to €22 including p&p, which accomadates a small box set or 2 CDs.

Dutch customs is a bit less expensive BTW: their handling fee is 13 €....

Q

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Ordered a new Wuorinen CD from the Presto sales, the price was around 10.5 Euros for the item. But I'd not looked into the rules sufficiently; to get the item sent from the Danish customs, which has now sent me a letter, I have to pay an additional ~ 2.75 Euros in Danish VAT, plus a fee of ~ 21 Euros for the very handling of the payment of that modest VAT amount ... So all in all, not an attractive offer, and I'm done with UK-based Presto from now on, sadly.

Bleh!  A 21 Euro processing fee for a 2.75 Euro payment?! 

PD